Embracing the Darkness
by Innocent Dreamer
Summary: V/B Pairing. Bulma, a young farm maiden one fateful night runs into a vampire that will forever change her life.
1. Prologue The Dream

I have been contemplating this for a long time and I have finally decided what to do. Reading my story through again I realize that I am just not at all proud or satisfied with it. It seems that as I continue to write, the story just progressively continues to get worse and worse so I have decided that I had good ideas going on in the story, I just went about it the wrong way. So here is my makeover of Embracing the Darkness and although it definitely will be similar to the old one, it is definitely different. Thank you and sorry for those of you that might (if any) have liked it and hopefully you will enjoy this much better.  
  
~ID~  
  
Embracing the Darkness  
  
By: Innocent Dreamer  
  
  
  
Chapter One - The Dream  
  
  
  
Bulma walked slowly down the dark, ominous hallway dimly lit by torches on the wall every twenty feet or so. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest as she progressively made her way to what seemed the end. Reaching blindly out she felt what she thought was a door, and gradually pushed it open.  
  
The hallway flooded with light and squinting, she tried to let her eyes adjust. The room was enormous with a crystal chandelier in the center of the ceiling and a grand staircase that led to what Bulma could only guess. Walking timidly out into the center of the room she noticed a table to the far off corner that held a giant, dusty, leather-bound book.  
  
Curiosity finally grabbed a hold of her and she made her way over to it but was stopped abruptly when she felt the cold steel of a dagger upon her throat. Her scream was muffled as a white-gloved hand clamped down on her mouth. She could feel the warm breath of her captor on the back of her neck and an icy chill ran down her spine.  
  
"You should not be here," the voice commanded as she came to realize that the person was a male, "seeing this place means death."  
  
Bulma shut her eyes and waited for the blow.  
  
  
  
Bulma sat up in a cold sweat, tossing the worn quilt that she used for warmth aside. Where did that come from? She thought. I've never dreamed about somebody killing me before.could it be a sign, of what is to come?  
  
The young sixteen-year old looked out her window and saw dawn breaking just over the far corners of the mountains. Sighing and sliding out of bed, she felt the cool wood beneath her feet. She decided that since she wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep, she might as well start early on her chores for the day.  
  
She and her family lived and worked on a farm. They weren't poor but they weren't rich, they were just in that mediocre place in-between. She was an only child and dutifully filled out her role by doing little jobs such as milking the cows or sweeping the house. Her life wasn't one out of a storybook but in her opinion, it was just fine to suit her likings.  
  
She grabbed a leather thong from her oak chest and tied her lavender hair back. Pulling an old, faded red and blue smock, she slipped into it and tied the bow in the back. She bent down and searched under her bed for her brown leather shoes and after awhile she found them and slid her feet inside. Finally deciding she was ready for the day, she walked out of her bedroom and into the fresh morning.  
  
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So how was that little snippet? It is a whole different setting and I hope it may be to your liking. Please let me know what you think, I'm always curious!  
  
~ID~ 


	2. Chapter Two Meeting

Embracing The Darkness  
  
By: Innocent Dreamer  
  
Chapter Two - Meeting  
  
Bulma heaved the bucket up, gruel slopping over the sides with various leftovers from last night's dinner floating around in the brown- green mixture. She turned away in disgust, she really couldn't understand how pigs could eat such a sickening mess but judging by the way they smelled and lived, she guessed it really wasn't much of a surprise. She poured out the bucket's contents into the feeding trough and stepped out of the way as pigs came flooding into the small pen.  
  
No matter how much she protested and complained, her mother always assigned feeding the pigs as her first chore of the day. It seem like such a elementary task to her, something not for her and below what she was capable of. For Bulma secretly hoped for something more than this simpleton life, something beyond being just a farm girl who never amounts to being anything more than a farmer's wife. But such a wish was not possible in the world she lived in and the only thing she could look forward to was marrying a lad who had a job that could support a family and offer her some companionship.  
  
Sighing, she leaned heavily on the wooden post of the fence enclosing the pen in, causing dust to fly into the morning air, and gazed at the pigs smacking noisily at the trough. Look at them, she thought, all they can think about is whether or not they will be fed and if they have something to sleep under at night. They don't have dreams, they don't worry that they'll never be able to leave the place they were born and make something of their life, they always stay here, knowing that someone will always be there to take care of them. Where as I, I won't have the shelter of my family much longer. I'm at the point in my life where soon I'll have to marry some stranger and leave my parents to lead a life where all the responsibilities of a full grown adult will lye on my shoulders. Bulma closed her eyes as tears started sliding down her cheeks. I don't think I could bear such a life knowing that I never was able to go chasing after my dreams. What am I going to do?  
  
Bulma shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Silly me, I'm comparing my life to that of pigs. Of course my life isn't going to be that bad, I just have to keep waiting, that's all."  
  
Picking up the now empty bucket, she went on her way to continue the rest of her morning chores.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In the far corner of a vast library lit dimly to accommodate its occupants, sat Vegeta, flipping through a dusty old leather-bound book. It was said to hold all the secrets that one of his race would ever need to know, and Vegeta wished to know those secrets. Most of its contents had been normal ramblings but one section had intrigued him. It spoke of a person called The Light of Hope who wielded immense power that could bring both destruction and peace; it all depended on who commanded them.  
  
The book was very vague on its description of the person but it did say that they would be innocent and have a heart so pure that even the evilest of things could not turn it. That one touch under their hand would soothe any worries or pains and that their knowledge would go beyond all the stars in the sky. Unfortunately the book did not give a date as to when this person would exist. So for all Vegeta could know, this person might have already come and passed.  
  
Angrily Vegeta slammed the book shut and stood up and stretched. How many hours had he spent in this damned library? Too many, he thought lazily to himself and smirked as he felt the pang of his stomach grumble, it looks like I will have to go out soon and retrieve some dinner. An evil glint flashed in his eye as a mirror nearby reflected smiling white fangs. I hope that not too many mortals drift out alone tonight, it would be very unfortunate if they were hurt.  
  
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The sun set into a swirl of yellows, pinks, and oranges as the night started to roll in. Bulma yawned and stretched out further, she wasn't quite ready to leave the hillside she was on and go home to eat dinner. She had spent a long day working on the farm and all she wanted to do now was sit and relax before her parents assigned her some other task to do.  
  
Stars started to show up in the night sky and Bulma gazed up at the wondrous constellations. They always seemed to amaze her. How there could be so many in what seemed like such a small universe, was one of the numerous questions that whirled around in her head.  
  
A movement to her right caused Bulma to jerk her head up in alarm and look about herself. She could see no one yet the feeling that she was not alone did not dissipate. Trying to act calm and thinking that perhaps they might go away if she didn't move, she laid herself back down, flat against the ground. To her disappointment, instead of going away she felt two thick burly hands grasp her neck and a gruff voice whisper into her ear, "If you don't scream sweetie I'll make this quick."  
  
Calmly she retorted, "And what did you have in mind kind sir?"  
  
One hand started to slide down the length of her dress and he replied, "I think you know what I it is I have in mind."  
  
"Now now, you wouldn't dare think of robbing a poor innocent girl of one of the only things she has would you?"  
  
"I couldn't give a damn if I did or not."  
  
A voice rang out from behind them. "I think you should."  
  
The man turned quickly, taking Bulma with him. "Who goes there? Come out and show yourself!"  
  
"But of course. I wouldn't want to play unfairly as you are." A figure appeared out of the shadows and Bulma stared up into two onyx eyes. "Now then, would you please hand over the girl?"  
  
"Do you think that by just coming out of nowhere and demanding this girl, I'd let you have her? I can see that your intentions are the same as mine own and you just want this delicious creature to yourself!"  
  
"I assure you, my intentions are not the same as yours. I do not take women unwillingly to sate my desires, worse enough children! Now if you do not wish to die a must grueling death, just hand over the girl!"  
  
"Over my dead body."  
  
"As you wish, I tried to warn you."  
  
Quicker than Bulma could blink, she was free of the terrible grip and the man lay at her feet clutching a wound that she was sure would prove fatal. Sighing in relief from what she thought was being saved; she looked up at her hero. "Thank you kind sir for rescuing me from a situation that would've been quite hard for me to get out of."  
  
"I didn't do it just for you, I saw things for my own gain."  
  
Bulma started to take a step backward. "I don't understand."  
  
He began to come closer to her and was soon inches from her face. "I saw that once I got rid of that barbaric man, I could have a taste of something very sweet."  
  
She moved away from him again. "So you did want to do the same thing as him."  
  
He grabbed ahold of her waist and pulled her close to him. "Oh no, not that kind of thing." With his other hand he began to tenderly stroke her neck. "I mean something much more vitalizing."  
  
He leaned his head in slowly and locking eyes with her, a small plea came from her lips, "Please don't."  
  
Not even thinking, he was compelled to stop by the intensity of those blue eyes. He released her and shakily moved away from her small form. Without another thought he broke into a quick run and disappeared into the midnight.  
  
Bulma watched him leave and not knowing what she was doing, started after him. She could hear him ahead of her, moving through the longer grasses of the field and towards the forest. She continued on, into the dense treetops.  
Vegeta couldn't understand what had gotten into him. He had left to go have a nice meal and had come upon this girl who was obviously about to be raped by some man much too old for her. He had killed the man and was just about to relieve the girl of her life when with a simple statement from her he had stopped. All he knew now was that he had to get away from her and back to his castle before she got over her initial shock and chased after him. Things were not looking bright from him.  
Bulma soon lost track of where he had went but still carried on through the foliage. Low tree branches scraped at her face and unearthed roots threatened to trip her but she still persisted, she wanted to find answers. After what seemed like an eternity she came out on the other side of the forest and looked up at a castle seated high among the cliffs and crags. She wondered why she had never seen it before on her many trips in the woods but soon shaking it off she started a long journey up towards the castle.  
  
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Well? What do you think? I know it's a pretty short chapter but I'm not really one that writes long ones anyways. Please review because it is very encouraging and lets me know how I am progressing. Thanks a bunch!  
  
~ID~ 


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